Davit and chair for life-boats



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

J. H. F. MEYER.

-DAVIT A ND CHAIR FOR LIFE BOATS.

Patented Apr.24, 1883.

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets--Sheet 2.

J. H. F. MEYER.

DAVVIT ANDGHAIR FOR LIFE BOATS. No. 276,446. PatentedAprQZ I', 1883.

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UNITE STATES PATENT Garrett;

JOHN H. F. MEYER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

DAVII AND CHAIR FOR LIFE-BOATS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 276,446, dated April24, 1883.

l Applicationfiled Decemher15,1882. (No modeLf a To all whom it mayconcern Be it known that I, JOHN H. F. MEYER, of

Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have invented a new and Improved Davit and Chair for Life- Boats, ofwhich the following is a full,clear,

and exact description.

The object of my invention is to provide a new and improved davit andchair for lifeboats, so constructed that the life-boat can be raised andswung from the side of the ship and lowered very easily and rapidly byone or two men.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 shows part of a cross-sectional elevation of a vessel providedwith my improved davits and chairs for life-boats, one life-boat beingshown lowered and the other in position on the chair. Fig. 2 is a likeelevation, showing the life-boat on the chair and themechanism forreleasing the tackle. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal outer elevation of alife-boat, showing the same resting on the chair, part of the boat beingbroken out to show the Windlass for raising the boat. Fig. 4 is alongitudinal elevation of one end of a life-boat, showing the manner inwhich the same is released, parts being broken out.

The life-boat A is supported at each end by two blocks, B B, hinged toframes or end pieces, 0, which. are hinged on a cross-piece, B,connecting the braces C extending from the top of the deck-house D tothe bulwarkrail D. The upper edges of the blocksB are curved andnotched, so as to fit closely against the planking of the boat. The twoblocks B B, hinged to each swinging piece (3, are independent of eachother, and between them arecess is formed for thekeel of a boat. Theupper ends of the swinging pieces 0 are connected by a rod, E, providedat the middle with a knuckle-joint, a, which is above the longitudinalcentral line of the rods E,- and at which knuckle-joint an arm, E,extends downward from one of the rods E, to the lower end of which arm Ea rope can be attached. At its lower end the arm Eis provided with a pinor projection, b, which can be passed under a hook or analogous device,a, on the crosspiece B, on which the end pieces, G, are hinged. Thedavits F are hinged to the sides of the deck-house, directly above thedeck, and are adapted to swing between the two braces 0 to which bracesa butter-spring, F, of some suitable construction, is held, againstwhich the davit strikes when it swings outward, as will be describedhereinafter. Each davit F is held in an upright position by a l1ook,G,pivotedto the davit and adapted to pass into a catch,- H, on one of thebraces 0 The hinge-bolts c of the swinging pieces 0 are provided at thelower ends with fingers or projections I, which are adapted to catch thehooks G and raise them in a manner that will be describedhereinafter.TheropesJpassoverpulleys J and J of which the former are hooked on theupper end of the davit, and from the pulleys J the ropes pass toWindlass-drums K on a shaft, K, journaled in the twocorrespondingdavits, which shaft is provided at the end with aratchet-wheel, L, with which a gravity-pawl, L, engages, pivoted to oneof the davits. The said pawl is provided with a weight, g, which pressesits otherend against the teeth of the ratchet-wheel L.

A connecting-rod, M, pivoted to the pawl L, is pivoted to a verticalbolt, M, sliding on the the davit, and having its lower end beveled, asshown.

One of the braces C is provided on its up I per surface with acam-ridge, N, which has the upper end slightly tapered or beveled, andover which cam-ridge the lower beveled end of the bolt M is adapted topass.

At that end of the shaft K opposite the one on which the ratchet-wheel Lis mounted a brake-disk, O, is mounted, whichis surrounded by abrake-band, 0, connected with a lever, P, for pressing the saidbrake-band against the brakedisk. The blocks B on the same side of thelife-boat are connected by a rod, Q, provided at the ends with headswhich pass into vertical slots in the outer end surfaces of the blocksB, whereby the said blocks can swing on the ends of the rods Q.Preferably the'rods Q are made removable, but can be pivoted to theblocks B in any-suitable manner.

To each lower pulley, J a hook, R, is pivoted, which is adapted to catchon an eye or loop, S, securely fastened on across-piece, S, of the boatand to the keel. The hook R is provided at the otherend of its shankWit-h a weight, T, which is sufficient to raise the said hook. A wedge,h, is connected by means of a chain, Z, with the upper pulley, J. -Awindlass, N, is provided on the deck-house for raisin g the boats fromthe water. Rubber bumpers V are provided for the swinging pieces 0 onthe cross-pieces B.

The operation is as follows: Ordinarily the swinging end pieces, 0, andthe blocks B are in the position shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the endpieces being inclined upward, the blocks B, that form the chair for theboat, being vertical, and the jointed rods E being in a horizontalposition. The jointed rod E locks the parts in this position, as itsjoint is above the central longitudinal line. The davits are held in anupright position by the latches or books G, which catch in the catchesH. The hooks R are in the eyes S, and the weights T are raised. Toprevent them from dropping, the wedges h are passed in between theshanks of the hooks and the bottom parts of the pulleyblocks. Thelifeboat is thus properly supported, is provided with a cover, and istied down in the usual manner. If the boat is to be lowered, the stringsby which the boat is tied down are cut, and the arm E is pulled in thedirection of the arrow at by means of a rope, or in any other suitablemanner, whereby the said rod E will be bent at its joint, as shown indotted lines in Fig. 3, the swinging pieces 0 will be swung downwardtoward each other, as indicated by the arrows in Fig. 3, and the blocks13 will be swung by'the rods Q in the direction of their arrows, andthereby the blocks B will be moved from under the boat, which thus hangsfreely from the davits. As the swinging pieces 0 swing downward theprojections or fingers I at the lower ends of the same swing upward andraise the latches G from the catches H, thereby releasing the davits toswing in the direction of the arrow a, Fig. 1, and whereby the life-boatwill be swung beyond the side of the ship. As the davits swing in theabove-mentioned direction the bolt M slides over the cam-ridge N and ismoved upward, and thus causes the connecting-rod M to lift the weightedend of the pawl L, thereby disengaging the pawl from the ratchet-wheelL, permitting the ropes J to unwind from the drums K. The boat Adescends, and the wedge his automatically drawn from between thepulley-block J and the hookRby the chain 1, which is drawn taut. As theweight of the life-boatis greater than the we'ightsTon the ends of thehooks R, the said weights cannot raise the hooks or draw them out of theeyes S; but as soon as the boat A floats the weight will be removed fromthe hook end of the hooks R and the weights T will drop or swingdownward, thereby withdrawing the hooks R from the eyes S, and thusreleasing the boat from the pulley-block J The boat is thus lowered andreleased automatically. If the boat descends too rapidly, its speed canbe checked by means of the brake-band O. The blocks B, the swingingpieces 0, and the devices for operating them can also be attached tovessels in which the davits are not pivoted to swing, but to turn, or inwhich they are fixed altogether.

Heretofore great difficulty has been experienced, before lowering aboat, in raising the same from its seat or chair and in swinging thesaid boat clear of the side of the ship, and for a twenty-foot boat fromten to twelve men were required for raising the same.

If my improved device is used, the boat can be swung out very easily, asthe same need not be raised, for I remove the support from under theboat. The two davits from which the boat is supported are preferablyconnected by suitable ties.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. The supports for life-boats, constructed oftwo swinging pieces adapted to swing toward each other, to the upperends of which swinging pieces swinging blocks are pivoted, on which theboat is adapted to rest, in combination with the rod Q, substantially asherein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

2. A support for life-boats, constructed of two swinging piecesconnected by a jointed rod, and blocks pivoted to the upper ends of theswinging pieces, which blocks -fit against the bottom of the boat,substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose setforth.

3. In supports forlife-boats, the combination, with two swinging piecesunited by a jointed rod, of supporting-blocks pivoted to the upper endsof the swinging pieces, and united by a rod pivoted thereto,substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose setforth.

4. In supports forlife-boats, the combination, with davits pivoted toswing toward the sides of the vessel, of latches pivoted to the davits,of swinging pieces for supporting the boat, and of projections at thelower joints of the swinging pieces, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purpose of raising the hooks pivoted to thedavits and releasing the davits as soon as the support of the boat isswung down.

5. In supports forlife-boats,thecombination, with the davits F, of thehooks G, the catches H, the swinging pieces G for supporting the boat,and the projections I at the lower ends of the swinging pieces,substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose setforth.

6. Insupportsfor life-boats,thecombination, with davits adapted to swingtoward the side of the vessel, of a Windlass-shaft journaled on thedavits, a ratchet-wheel on one end of the shaft, a pawl engaging withthe ratchet-wheel,

with the davits F, of the life-boat A, the pulleys J, supported from theends of the davits, the pulleys J at the life-boats, the rope J, passingover the said pulleys, the hook R, the weight T, attached to an arm ofsaid hook, the wedge h, attached to a chain, 1, fastened to the upperpulley, J, and an eye, S, secured to the life-boat, into which eye thehook R is adapted to pass, as and for the purpose set forth.

JOHN H. F. MEYER.

Witnesses:

OSCAR F. GUNZ, O. SEDGWICK.

